Here at Lilt, we’re passionate about helping localization leaders tackle big challenges and move the industry forward.

Internally, we’re just as focused on building a culture of inspiring and motivated individuals to help build the foundations to make that a reality. In our Employee Spotlight series, we’re excited to highlight the talented Lilt employees (or Liltonians, as we like to call ourselves) that have helped us get to where we are now.

This week, we’re happy to introduce Juston Forte, one of our teammates focused on government solutions. We sat down with Juston to learn more about his background, how he came to join Lilt, and even the music he loves to listen to while working.

What's your role at Lilt, and what does your day to day look like?

I'm a Government Solutions Associate, and I do everything I can to help our Government Solutions team function and build revenue for Lilt. I support our Program Manager by running background support for his programs, assist our Head of Government Solutions with his capture efforts, handle the internal coordination for cross team efforts, and more. I also monitor public procurement portals and manage the proposal response efforts for any procurements that I find.

What led you to join Lilt?

After interning with a government agency, I realized I wanted to learn more about how private companies and the government interact while also getting the opportunity to grow professionally. Lilt was the perfect opportunity for me. As a rapidly growing start-up with a dedicated Government Solutions team, I've been given the chance to learn about the government while also being in a high-growth environment.

What do you like to do outside of work? How do you maintain a good work/life balance?

COVID-19 and its subsequent quarantines have really changed the balance of work and personal life. The outlets that used to be there aren't the same anymore, so it's been a different type of challenge to find new things to stay busy. These days, I schedule time with friends to video chat and play board games over Zoom. Most recently, on my search to occupy myself during quarantine, I've gotten into reading more and I'm now learning to play the piano (again).

Out of Lilt's company values (Meticulousness, Quickness, Humility, Toughness), which speaks to you most and why?

Humility is the company value that speaks to me the most. Since the Government Solutions team is currently a small but mighty team, there's a lot of responsibility for us to share. Everyone helps out where they can, and I think humility plays into that a lot. It's great to be able to work with people you can learn from and trust on a day-to-day basis, too.

What's one skill that you've learned while working at Lilt? 

I've had the chance to manage some very complicated and large government proposals. The team here at Lilt and the projects that I've worked on have helped me learn the project management skills necessary to really break them down and tackle large challenges. I'm already seeing how important it is to be able to do that, and I'm excited to see what's next.

Since joining Lilt, do you think of translation/localization differently?

Before joining Lilt, I definitely wasn't as aware of the role of translation/localization in day-to-day life. Now, I notice it everywhere, especially when I walk around San Francisco. Almost everything in the city is translated into at least two languages, and depending on the neighborhood you're in, you'll see even more.

What's the best career advice you've ever received?

The best career and life advice I've ever received is to never stop reading and looking for  learning opportunities. It's helped me grow a lot, especially here at Lilt.

What languages do you speak or have you studied?

English and Spanish.

Do you like to listen to music while you work? 

I do - recently, I've been listening to a lot of saxophone and piano covers by Daniel Chia.

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Keep an eye out for our upcoming posts in our Employee Spotlight series! We'll be highlighting people from across the company, from Product and Engineering to Marketing and Sales.

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